Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-10-29

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Seminal Internet Governance Forum (IGF) begins in Athens on Mon.

[02] PASOK leader in Geneva on Mon.

[01] Seminal Internet Governance Forum (IGF) begins in Athens on Mon.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will inaugurate the forum on Monday.

Athens won the honor to host the inaugural IGF forum during a UN-sponsored meeting last year in Tunis regarding the information society.

The main issue of the forum is entitled "Internet Governance for Development."

Some 1,200 representatives of governments, corporate executives, academics and IT experts are expected to attend.

Earlier, Karamanlis will meet with EU Commissioner for the information society and media Viviane Reding.

Liapis said the target of the inaugural forum is the promotion and facilitation of open and multilateral dialogue between all sides regarding joint policies and the shaping of an agency that will supervise the operation of the Internet, one apart from government interventions.

Replying to questions, Liapis focused on efforts being made by the government over past years for the development and proliferation of broadband services in Greece.

He admitted that Greece lags behind other European Union countries, but noted that over the past year the country has ranked first internationally regarding growth in ADSL access, adding that broadband infrastructures will be completed in the entire country in about a year.

Caption: Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is shown visiting an Internet cafe in the west Athens district of Bournazi in March 2000, only days before general elections that year. Karamanlis was the head of the main opposition at the time. ANA-MPA photo / A. Voutos.

[02] PASOK leader in Geneva on Mon.

In the evening, he will be honored by the World Gymnastics Federation for his efforts to revive the Olympic Truce idea. The ceremony will take place in the framework of events commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Federation's founding.

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